Sour Taste

The kerfuffle over Taste of the Wasatch, Utah and its carbon ways and are we talking about inland ports or trade wars?

Katharine BieleAug 8, 2018 4:00 AM

Sour TasteJust about everyone—except readers of the Deseret News—know about the bait-and-switch tactics of Taste of the Wasatch. This is a public event where people pay a lot to eat and drink a lot and support those who aren't eating enough. Proceeds from the event have gone to Utahns Against Hunger, which describes itself as "Utah's only statewide anti-hunger non-profit organization working on public policy and advocacy for federal nutrition programs." Not this time. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that UAH got stiffed out of some $50,000 last year. That's because 3 Squares executive director Karen Zabriskie wanted to fund some cute little children's cooking classes, but the effort failed, and Zabriskie decided to keep on trying by using proceeds from Taste. Some donors and providers who feel deceived withdrew from last week's event, while others are pledging directly to UAH. Zabriskie, who makes more than $42,000, needs to rethink her priorities.

A Carbon Love AffairMaybe you're not a math genius and the carbon tax idea is a bit much to digest. But let's talk capitalism and the Utah Way. The plan is to tax pollution with "a fee on the production, distribution or use of fossil fuels based on how much carbon their combustion emits," according to How Stuff Works. You pay more if you pollute ... so maybe you don't pollute. You'd think this was a cool idea in a state that won't shut down polluters and encourages coal production. Even U.S. Rep. Mia Love has become a darling of the Citizens Climate Lobby, voting against anti-carbon tax legislation. But then there's the Utah Taxpayers Association and Billy Hesterman who warned in a Trib editorial that Utah citizens will be, boo-hoo, paying more for their energy. The carbon tax just encourages people to make good decisions.

Ports and Trade WarsThe Deseret News' Jay Evensen is at it again, though we're not quite sure what he's getting at. He does say proudly that he supports the Inland Port and he favors free trade, and ain't it all great? Then he takes a swipe at Inland Port opponents, saying they're ignoring Donald Trump's trade war, which would hurt the port. Evensen goes off on a partisan rant, blaming Democrats and bringing in Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Like they have any sway in the debate! We think he's saying that port opponents are the same people who should oppose the trade wars. But wait. He wants them to run off to Washington, D.C., to tell the president they don't like his trade war? Or is he pointing out some weird hypocrisy? Evensen thinks the port would be a boon to Utah—despite the pollution, traffic and wildlife and wetlands destruction. And that's what opponents are opposing.